Carrier for bottles and the like



y 11, 1943- J. B. SLEVIN; JR 2,318,807

CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed April 24, 1940' 2 Sheets-Sheet' 1 May 11, 1942.,v 1. B; 'S LE VIN, J 2,3

' CARRIER 30R BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Apri124, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IZIJenZZJr Jillian j 5' Jedi/2.11;

Patented May ll; i943 relate? @FFE CE 2,318,807 ()ARREER non BQTTLES AND THE LEE Julian B. Slevln, 51"., Drcxel Hill, Pa.

Application April 2%, 1194b, Serial No. 331,279

(Cl. fill-=52) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a carrier for bottles and the like, that is to say to a device for hold ing and conveniently carrying a plurality of bottles, cans or other containers for beverages and foods, which carrier is made from a single sheet of cardboard, or similar material, suitably blanked and formed so that the same may be shipped to the initial users thereof either in fiat condition or partially set up.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a carrier for containers such as bottles and the like made from a single sheet of cardboard, or similar tough flexible material, which may be inexpensively made and quickly set up in position to receive the bottles or other containers which are to be carried thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier for bottles and other containers which may be either shipped in flat condition or partially set up, as may be desired by the initial user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier of the character aforesaid which may be placed in a carton in set up but empty condition to receive the bottles or other containers while the carriers are in the shipping cartons thereby to facilitate the packaging of the containers.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a carrier of the character aforesaid which is so constructed and arranged that the 7 individual containers will be properly held in their respective compartments of the carrier in separated relationship and gripped therein with suificient tension to maintain the same against accidental removal from the carrier after the same is re moved from the shipping carton.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. carrier of the character aforesaid which is so constructed and arranged that the individual containers may be separately removed from the carrier without disturbing any of the other containers'mounted therein, and without requiring the dismantling of the carrier for the removal of the containers therefrom.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carrier embodying the main features of the present invention, the same being shown in set up condition with a plurality of bottles mounted therein;

. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the carrier as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the other end of the carrier, the same being shown in the shape assumed before the bottles are mounted therein;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blanked sheet from which the carrier is made, the same being shown in the fiat condition before being set up; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the carrier in a partially set up condition, that is, in the form in which the same is preferably shipped to the initial user.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 4 thereof, the sheet or blank ill from which the carrier is made is substantially symmetrical about a transverse crease line H. On each side of said crease line it there are two rectangular panels 92 which together form the bottom of the carrier. These panels it are each of a width substantially equal to that of the diameter oi the container, and of a length equal to a multiple of diameters of the containers according to the number of said containers which are to be mounted in the carrier. The particular carrier shown in the drawings is designed to carry six bottles, three on each side.

Each of the bottom panels 32 has a section it joined thereto, along a transverse crease line it. The sections H3 form the outer side walls of the carrier. Each of the sections it is joined to another section it: by means of a plurality of inclined strips l6. The sections are oiiset in the blank with respect to the sections M as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The inclined strips l6 are formed by means of a plurality of V inclined slits ll. cut in the sheet or blank. and there are provided longitudinal crease lines it where said strips it join the section it as well also as longitudinal crease lines l9 where said strips l6 join the section 65.

On one side of each section It there is provided a tab 20, joined to the inclined strip IG which is disposed at that end of the structure. and also joined to said section it, along a longitudinal crease line it.

Likewise at the other end of each section it there is provided a tab 22 which is joined alon a longitudinal crease line 23 to the section 55 and also to the inclined strip it which is at that end of the structure.

Each section 55 is also provided with a handle portion 25 joined thereto along a transverse crease line 25. Each handle portion 24% is cut out as at 26, and in the one instance a hand hold is provided by the removal of the material of the cut out 26, whereas in the other instance the material 2-1 of the hand hold out out is joined to the main body of the handle portion 24 along a transverse crease line 28.

In the setting up of the carrier, the tabs 20 are bent inwardly whereupon the same are fastened to the inclined strip I6 to which said tab 20 is joined by the crease line 2!, the fastening being done in any preferred manner, as for example by the wire stitching 29.

The tabs 22 are also folded inwardly and the two sections l brought together with the tab portions 22 disposed therebetween, whereupon the two sections I5 are fastened to each other as, for example, by the wire stitching at 30 and 3| and 32. The wire stitching at 30 extends through the four thicknesses provided by the two sections l5 and the inturned tabs 22. Preferably the carriers are supplied to the initial users after the parts have been fastened to each other as above described, although of course it will be understood that the same may be shipped entirely in the flat, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and the wire stitching or other fastening of the parts may be done at the packaging plant.

When it is desired to set up the carrier to the operative condition, the lower side sections M are separated and the bottom panels l2 brought to the horizontal positions as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the side wall sections H are thus separated, the inclined strips IE will be brought out of parallelism with the other sections, to positions at right angles to said other sections, the longitudinal crease lines It and i9 permitting this action.

Also it will be noted that in this condition the side wall sections it will be inclined inwardly from the bottom. However, when the bottles or other containers are placed in the respective compartments provided in the'carrier in the set up position, by reason of the initial inclination of the said wall sections, a certain amount of tension will be put upon each of the containers which will serve to prevent the same from being loose in their respective compartments, and resistance against accidental removal of the containers from their respective compartments will thus be provided.

The carriers, constructed as hereinbefore shown and described, may be placed in a set up condition in the shipping cartons (not shown) and the containers then placed in the respective compartments, thus facilitating the packaging of the containers in the shipping cartons. After the containers are placed in position in their respective compartments, the handle portions 26 may be bent over to the horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and there will be no objectionable projections. Hence, when the,

cartons are closed, a compact package is pro- .vided without unnecessary voids between the containers or between the containers and the walls of the shipping cartons.

When the cartons with the containers mounted in the carriers reach the retail dealer, it is only necessary for him to open the top of the carton, whereupon access is immediately had to the handle portions 24 of a particular carrier, said handle portions 24 then being bent upwardly to the vertical position and the tab portion 26 of the hand hold opening 25 of the one section pushed through the hand hold opening 25 of the other section, whereupon the particular carrier may be readily removed from the carton and delivered to the purchaser with the containers mounted therein.

Each container may be readily removed from the carrier without disturbing any of the others, and it is not necessary to separate any 01' the parts of the carrier for the purpose of removing any of the containers therefrom.

It will also be noted that each of the bottles is separated from the bottles in the adJacent compartments by one or more thicknesses of the material of the carrier, hence the bottles will be so held that likelihood of breakage during the shipment of the containers in th cartons will be reduced to a minimum.

It will, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A carrier for containers such as bottles and 2 the like, comprising a sheet of flexible material blanked and creased to provide bottom panels joined to each other along a transverse crease line, side sections joined to the bottom panels along transverse crease lines, upper sections connected to said side sections. the means for connecting said upper sections to said side sections comprising inclined strips joined to said sections along longitudinal crease lines, handle portions joined to the aforesaid upper sections along transverse crease lines, and fastening means for securing the upper sections to each other, each side section having a tab at one end of the structure which is joined to said section and to the inclined strip at that end of the structure along a longi-- tudinal crease line, said tabs being turned inwardly and fastened to said inclined strips.

2. A carrier for containers such as bottles and the like, comprising a sheet of flexible material blanked and creased to provide bottom panels joined to each other along a transverse crease line, side sections joined to the bottom panels along transverse crease lines, upper sections connected to said side sections, the means for connecting said upper sections to said side sections comprising inclined strips joined to said sections along longitudinal crease lines, handle portions joined to the aforesaid upper sections along transverse crease lines, and fastening means. for securing th upper sections to each other, each side section having a tab at one end of the structure along a longitudinal crease line.

- 3. A carrier for containers such as bottlesand the like, comprising a sheet of flexible material blanked and creased to provide bottom panels joined to each other along a transverse crease line, side sections joined to the bottom panels along transverse crease lines, upper sections connected to said side sections, the means for connecting said upper sections to said side sections comprising inclined strips joined to said sections along longitudinal crease lines, handle portions joined to the aforesaid upper sections along transverse crease lines, and fastening means for securing the upper section to each other, each side section having a tab at one end of the structure which is joined to said section and to the inclined strip at that end of the structure along a longitudinal crease line, said tabs being turned inwardly and fastened to said inclined strips, each upper section also having a tab at the other end or the structure joined to said section and to the inclined strip at that end of the structure along a longitudinal crease line, said tabs being turned inwardly and secured by the fastening means which is employed for securing the upper sections to each other.

- 4. A carrier for containers such as bottles and the like, comprising a sheet of flexible material blanked and creased to provide bottom panels upon which the containers rest in the carrier, outer side sections joined at their lower edges directly to the bottom panels along a transverse crease line, centrally disposed upper sections, means connecting the upper portions of the outer side sections to the lower portions of the central upper sections comprising inclined strips joined to said sections along longitudinal crease lines, said strips spacing said upper section Irom the bottom panels and from the outer side sections,

and a handle member connected to the upper portion of at least one of the aforesaid upper sections, the outer side sections being laterally moveable with respect to the upper central section to permit the carrier to be quickly brought from a flattened to a set-up condition.

5. A carrier for containers such as bottles and the like, comprising a sheet of flexible material blanked and creased to provide bottom panels upon which the containers rest in the carrier, outer side sections joined at their lower edges directly to the bottom panels along a transverse crease line, centrally disposed upper sections, fastening means securing said upper sections to each other, means connecting the upper portions of the outer side sections to the lower portions of the central upper sections comprising inclined strips joined to said upper sections and to said lower sections along longitudinal crease lines. said trips spacing said upper section from the bottom panels and from the outer side sections, and an integral handle portion joined directly to the upper portion of at least one of the aforesaid upper sections, the outer side sections being laterally moveable with respect to the upper central section to permitthe carrier to be quickly brought from a flattened toa set-up condition.

6. A carrier for containers such as bottles and the like,- comprising a sheet of flexible material blanked and creased to provide bottom panels upon which the containers rest in the carrier, said bottom panels being joined to each other along a central transverse crease line, outer side sections joined at their lower edges directly to the bottom panels along a transverse crease line, centrally disposed upper sections, fastening means securing said upper sections to each other. means connecting the upper portions'ot the outer side sections to the lower portions of the central upper sections comprising inclined strips joined to said sections along longitudinal crease lines, said strips spacing said upper sections 'from the bottom panels and from the outer side sections, and an integral handleportion joined directly to the upper portion of at least one of the aforesaid upper sections, the outer side sections being laterally moveable with respect to the upper central section to permit the carrier to be quickly brought from a flattened to a set-up condition.

'7. A carrier, for a plurality of containers such as bottles and the like, formed of flexible sheet material and comprising a horizontal bottom portion upon which the containers are adapted to rest, upwardly extending outer side wall panels hingedly joined at their lower edges to opposite sides of said bottom portion, a plurality of partition members lying in substantially vertical separated planes and integrally joined to each of said side wall panels, said partition members extending inwardly from said side wall panels a distance substantially equal to one-half of the width of said bottom portion and upwardly in a generally inclined manner, a pair of substantially vertical upper panels in back-to-back relationship, each of said upper panels being integrally joined at its lower portion along substantiallyvertical hinge lines to the partition members attached to one of said side wall panels, means for securing aid upper panels to each other, and a handle portion attached to at least one of said upper panels.

8. A carrier, for a plurality of containers such as bottles and the like, formed of bendable sheet material, such as paperboard and comprising, when set up, a central upright handle portion,

. two outer side wall panels arranged to be disposed symmetrically below and at each side of the handle portion, means for connecting the side wall panels and the handle portion to enable the side wall panels to assume either a position substantially in the plane of the handle portion or an expanded position for the reception of the containers, said connecting means comprising generally inclined strips joined respectively at their upper and lower ends to the handle portion and to the side wall panels, and a bottom portion v for the carrier having the side edges thereof Joined to the lower edges of .the side wall panels along substantially parallel hinge lines, the hinge lines of the inclined strips at their junctions with the handle portion and the side wall panels being substantially perpendicular so that when the carrier is expanded the inclined strips will lie in separated planes substantially perpendicular with respect to the plane of the bottom portion thereby to act as partition-elements for the containers in the carrier.

JULIAN B. SLEVIN Ja. 

